Recommended Power Foods - Part 8 - Grains #7 and #8

Recommended Power Foods - Part 8 - Grains #7 & #8
(Information from The Power of Food - Bonnie Raffel R. D., Author)

#7 - Wild Rice - Wild rice is not a true grain, but is a type of edible grass.  Wild rice provides protein, B vitamins, minerals, and fiber.  The darker the grain the more bran is intact.  Add wild rice to soups, bread stuffing, or mix together brown and wild rice and cook as a side dish.

#8 - Amaranth - This is a tiny seed that contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein.  Amaranth flour contains more fiber and iron than wheat flour, and also provides calcium.  It can be found in the form of flakes and flour, and can be combined with other flours for baking.

I Didn't Know That - Shopping For Rice

Rice is one of the most versatile foods on the market.  It can be used in casseroles, soups, salads, and even desserts.   But there are many types of rice so how do you know which to use?   Here are just a few of those available and a little about them.

White rice - There are actually 3 types of this rice.  You can find long, medium and even short grain.  The shorter the grain, the more starch it contains.  Because it is the starch that causes rice to stick together when cooked, long grain rice cooks up lighter and fluffier than short grain rice.  (That I didn't know.  There have been times that I've bought just "white rice" not paying attention to what size it might be.  This piece of info makes me understand why my rice is sometimes too sticky for some of the dishes I'm making.)

Arborio rice - This is a short grain white rice that is preferred in risotto.  Being a short grain, it gives the creaminess needed for this dish.  This is usually found in larger supermarkets and specialty food stores.  (I've actually never bought this rice.  I have tried making risotto and had come out without the creaminess that I felt it should.  Now I know that I either buy the Arborio or at least use short grain.)

Instant and quick-cooking rice - This rice is popular because of its short cooking time.  Instant and quick-cooking rices are partially or fully cooked before they're packaged.   (I normally use the longer cooking rice but do keep a variety of the boiling bags on hand for quick use.  The flavor isn't as strong and the texture may not be as uniform but it works when I'm in a hurry.)

Brown rice - This is unpolished rice grain.  It has the bran layer still intact.  It's pleasantly chewy and nutty in flavor but requires a little longer cooking time then white rice.  (I've never been a fan of brown rice.  Don't really know why.  But I have found that I actually love the brown rice boiling bags.  I like the texture and flavor.  So if you're like me and don't care for brown rice, try the boiling bags.)

Converted rice - This is also called parboiled rice.  This white rice is steamed and pressure-cooked before it's packaged.  The process helps to retain nutrients and keeps the grains from sticking together when cooked.  (This I didn't know.  I've seen packages that say converted rice and have even bought it but never really knew the difference between it and regular white rice.)

Aromatic rice - The aroma of basmati, Texmati, wild pecan and jasmine rice is irresistible.  Their flavors range from toasted nuts to popped corn.  Look for them in food markets featuring Indian or Middle Eastern foods or in some of the larger supermarkets.  (My favorite is Basmati.  I love it's nutty flavor.  I use it not only in regular dishes but I really like it in my dessert rice dishes.  If you've not tried this one, you should.  I've tried the Jasmine but keep going back to the Basmati.  I've not tried the Texmati nor the Wild Pecan.  I actually haven't seen them in my local stores.  If you've tried either of these, please comment on their taste and texture.)

Wild rice - This is actually not a grain at all.  Wild rice is a marsh grass.  It takes about three times longer to cook than white rice but the nutlike flavor and chewy texture are worth the wait.  You do need to wash wild rice thoroughly before cooking.  (This is another favorite for me.  I had no idea it wasn't really a rice but now that I know this and look at it closely I can see that it doesn't really look like rice.  No matter what it is, I love it and love cooking with it.)

Chicken, Wild Rice & Sausage Casserole

This might not sound appealing but I promise you the blend of flavors made it something that had my food testers asking for seconds.  But, you'll have to wait for the recipe.  This delicious dish has just been added to the Think With Your Taste Buds - Chicken manuscript which will be out later this year.  Until then make sure you order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef, Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts and Stir, Laugh, Repeat. 

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

The original recipe for this soup called for 2 Tbsp. of flour added to the onions for thickening and 3 Tbsp. of sherry.  I omitted both and added the butter to my onions and added celery which wasn't called for in the original recipe.  I also left out the carrots simply because I don't like cooked carrots.  For my chicken I used 2 plump split chicken breasts using this for my broth.  This version gave me a pot full of chicken and rice with just enough broth to make it perfect.  Due to the seasoning mix included with the rice, no salt was needed.  You could add a little garlic and maybe a touch of sage if you want but I found it perfect as it is for my taste buds.  For the full recipe visit Martha's Recipe Cabinet.